Louisiana police: 'no evidence' of Saints eavesdropping: report

August 13, 2012|Reuters

(Matthew Sharpe/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Louisiana state police said Monday they have found no evidence that New Orleans Saints' General Manager Mickey Loomis eavesdropped on radio communications of opposing National Football League coaches in the Superdome.

"This has been an intensive investigation and after numerous interviews we have determined that there is no evidence that state laws have been violated," said state police Colonel Mike Edmonson, according to a report by the Times-Picayune newspaper.

In April, ESPN reported that Loomis might have rigged the Superdome with an electronic device to enable him to secretly listen in on conversations between visiting coaches on the sidelines and their colleagues studying the game in upper levels of the stadium for nearly three NFL seasons.

The eavesdropping was suspected of occurring during the 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons, ESPN reported at the time.

Loomis has denied the accusations. He could not be reached immediately for comment on Monday.

The FBI also has investigated the charges against the Saints but has not commented. The team hired an outside firm to look into the accusation but that investigation is not finished, the Times-Picayune said.

The Saints were rocked in the off-season by revelations that the team paid players for injuring opponents. Head coach Sean Payton and star linebacker Jonathan Vilma were suspended for the entire 2012 season while Loomis was suspended for eight games.